Panacea Connecticut

Brand:
Panecea cigars are a product of Flatbed Cigar Company, headed up by Paul Bush. The cigars are crafted in the Dominican Republic and distributed out of Bucks County, Pennsylvania.

The Panacea line is available in two formats which include a Maduro and Natural. Both blends sport a Cuban Seed Seco, Ligero, Olor Dominicano, and Nicaraguan blend of tobaccos to make up the filler. The binder is made up of Dominican leaf while the wrappers are Brazilian Maduro and Connecticut shade.

Pre-Light:
Once my Panacea Connecticut was removed from its ziplock style bag, I gave it a once over to check for any obvious defects. The color of the wrapper was consistent from head to foot while exhibiting a slight sheen. There were several dainty veins which could not be felt when handled.

Giving the cigar a light pinch from head to foot showed me that it was evenly filed with tobacco. The aroma on both the exposed foot and wrapper were mild and difficult to distinguish.

After opening the head of the cigar with a pair of cigar scissors, I found the draw to be free with mild flavors of cedar and sweetness. Once the pre-light inspection was complete, I moved to the toasting and lighting process.

First Third:
Once my Panacea Connecticut was lit, it immediately began producing loads of thick and flavorful smoke. My initial impression was that this cigar would be a great example of a mild to medium bodied cigar with lots of flavor.

As I began to work through the first third, the body strikes me as mild to medium, which hasn’t changed from my initial impression. The finish is creamy with a slight bit of bite to it. I get a little bit of an aggressive feeling across my palate which is sort of acidic.

The primary flavor strikes me as simply rich tobacco. The favors lying behind this generic description are the ones that are most enjoyable. These favors include toast, nuts, and a slight bitterness. All of these background flavors linger on the palate for a minute, or so, before fading.

Second Third:
After nearly an hour of smoking, I was just about finished the second third of my Panacea Connecticut. As the smoke progressed, the body picked up a bit. At its peak in the second third it was medium, at best, with a creamy finish.

There was not much transition in terms of flavor. The straight-up natural tobacco flavor remained dominant but became a little richer as the cigar burned along. The same went for the flavors of nuts and toast. The only change came in the form of the bitterness fading and being replaced by a mild cedar taste.

The burn line was a little thick from time to time and showed some minor blistering. The ash was light in color while easily dropping from the foot after about three-quarters of an inch developed. The burn rate was on par with other cigars of this size while producing loads of thick and flavorful smoke.

Final Third:
After a period of ninety minutes had elapsed, I was about mid way through the final third of my Panacea Connecticut. The body did not change up much throughout this section of the cigar and remained medium. The finish was creamy and less aggressive than in previous thirds.

The flavor had a small change during the final third, which reverted the profile back to what it was in the first third. The taste of cedar faded and was replaced by a slight bitterness. The focus remained on the natural tobacco flavor that dominated throughout the cigar.

The burn line was thin and even for most of the final third and produced a generous supply of dense smoke. The burn rate seemed about average for a stick of this size while producing an average amount of resting smoke. While the cigar burned shorter, the smoke remained cool on the fingers and across the palate.

Final Thoughts:
When it was time to put the Panacea Connecticut down for good, I was happy to have smoked it. From the start I got the impression that it would be a fairly mild smoke with alot of flavors. I was left with that same impression when I finally set it down.

I smoked this cigar in the middle of the afternoon and enjoyed it. I think it would do very well as a Sunday morning cigar, one where you sleep in, grab a cup of coffee and reach for the paper. I would recommend giving one a try if you come across one in your travels.

11 Comments

Nice review and one with which I agree completely. I have had the pleasure of trying both natural and maduro versions of the Panacea myself. I usually tend to like more full-bodied smokes, but I preferred the Connecticut version of this one to the maduro. A very, very good mild-to-medium cigar. In my opinion, as good or better than a Davidoff at a third the price–how can you go wrong?

Nice review Walt,I’ve smoked the maduro and I have a few of the connecticut Panacea in my humi that I will have to try.
I thought that was funny the Lars stink,I smoked one of those a long time ago and I don’t think I’ve smoked a infused cigar after that lol.

Nate,
I know you love Davidoffs, but I just can’t figure out why, to tell the truth. You sent me the Panacea and I really liked it–a really good flavorful cigar. I also love the Nub Connecticut. Both of these are, in my mind, great examples of mild-bodied cigars with are flavorful and enjoyable to smoke and don’t cost and arm and a leg.

As far as Davidoff goes, I’ve had a Millennium Blend, a Winston Churchill, and a Private Stock, and I’ve not been impressed with the flavor on any of them. They’re not bad, per se, but they aren’t that good either. And, except for the Private Stock, they practically demand your first born for the privilege of smoking one. The Private Stock wasn’t bad…for a $4 smoke…but I would still prefer one of the other bargain-priced smokes I named above.

Everyone has their own tastes and I respect yours–and agree sometimes!–but I feel about Davidoff how you feel about Gurkha, I guess–you’re paying for the name, not the flavor. Just my two cents…

Tell ya what…as soon as I get all this domain garbage figured on our new site, I’ll address exactly that 🙂 For now, suffice it to say I do really enjoy Davidoff cigars, and their legacy on the market, but by no means do I think they are the standard bearer in the market.

I guess we’ve gotten off topic a bit with the Davidoff debate, so that leads me into another interesting aside…

Speaking of cigars that cost far more than they’re worth, I had the opportunity recently to smoke a few Graycliffs. The first two were good, but (again) not even close to worth the $20 and $30 retail price that is generally asked for them (I got them as part of a dinner deal). The third was the new “Double Espresso” which retails for $15 or so. I have to say that is one super-premium cigar that I would actually pay full retail for on a semi-regular basis, especially for special occasions. Unbelievable flavor and a tighter pack than most Graycliffs. Check it out if you get the chance.